Method of causing the germination of grain.



PATENTED MAY 31, 1.904.-

V. LAPP. METHOD OF GAUSING THE GERMINATION OP GRAIN APPLICATION FILED MAY 25 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

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. UNITED STATES Patented May 31, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

VALENTIN LAPI, OF LINDENAU, NEAR LEIPZIG, GERMANY.

METHOD OF CAUSING THE GERMINATION OF GRAIN.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 761,237, dated May 31, 1904. Application filed May 25, 1901. Serial No. 61,886. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, VALENTIN LAPP, a subject of the King of Saxony, residingat Lindenau, near Leipzig, in the Kingdom of Saxony, in the German Empire, have invented a new and Improved Method of Causingthe Germination of Grain, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to a process by which the germination of grain shall be initiated,

promoted, and carried through in a considerably shorter time than was hitherto necessary. Another object of my invention is to treat very great quantities of grain in such a man-.

ner that the germination of that grain is' initiated, promoted, and carried through perfectly uniform throughout the whole mass of that grain in spite of the large quantity of the same.

My invention consists in letting liquid air expand in a bulk of Water located below the grain and making the rising moist air pass The liquid air is freed of; apart of its nitrogen before being used in this, manner and only so much liquid air is allowed to expand in the bulk of water that the pres-f through the same.

sure remains beyond atmospheric pressure.

In order to make my invention more clear,

an enlarged detail view of the gearing byv which the stirrers of the apparatus are rotated. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the perforated bottom.

Referring to Fig. 1, 2' is a closed vessel, the upper part of which is cylindrical and the lower part of which is funnel-shaped or resembles an inverted hollow cone. Closely above saidlower part of the vessel 2' is a perforated bottom or sieve-bottom b for supporting the already-steeped grain. This grain is introduced from above through a wide tube 0, which is connected with the central upper neck of the vessel 2' by a casing 00 containing a slide The piece of tube 0 serves, preferthe grain.

ably, asa direct connection between the steeping vessel (not shown) and the germination vessel 2'. b is the space for the water-bath, and besides the water it contains or is provided with horizontal cooling-pipes m, furnished with protective shields n. The water is introduced into the space Zthrough the pipe 19. The sievebottom 6 has openings 2, (indicated in Figs. 2 and 4 by parallelograms,) through which the germinated grain may get down into the space Z. The openings 2 are generally closed by slides a or the like adapted to be displaced in suitable guides by a threaded spindle 2 or the like, and they are kept closed'until the germination of the grain is completed. Then the water contained in the space Z is let off through the pipe 19, in order to make that space free for the reception of the grain. The purpose of the shields n is to prevent part of the grain remaining lying upon the pipes 171/. w is a casing containing a slide by which the space Z is closed at its lower end.

In the form of construction shown the apparatus is provided with. means for stirring These means consist of a series of vertical helixes t, each of which (except the central helix) rotates around its own axis and revolves around the central helix. The shafts t of the helixes 25 extend downward from one of six arms 6 having rolls t adapted to run upon a circular rail tfi fixed to the Wall of the casing Z. The arms 23 hold a circular rack t gearing with a cog-wheel t, located outside the casing i, and the shaft t of said cog-Wheel has a worm-wheel i gearing with a worm 25. The shaft of the latter is connected with any suitable motor or engine. The upper parts of the shafts t are provided below the respective arm t with cog-wheels If each of which is in gear with its neighboring one or ones, and one of said shafts (the second with respect to the wall of the casing) is provided also above the respective arm t with a cog-wheel t, gearing with a circular rack 6, located above the rack i, but having a smaller diameter. Therefore by rotating the worm t the helixes t are made to rotate as well as to revolve, so as thereby to stir the grain. Above the arms t are cooling-pipes m, and above these is a per- The space Z below the sieve-bottom forated pipe 8 held by a pipe 0, through which water may be led into the pipe 5' and distributed upon and over the grain.

is is a so-called manhole.

The liquid air is introduced into the lower part of the apparatus either through the pipe 9 or through the pipe 9. In the first case the liquid air is not moistened, but in the second caseitis, because it is compelled to pass through the water contained in the space Z. In one or the other case the liquid air is distributed below and through the grain and the mixture of nitrogen and carbonic acid forming by and during the process of germination is sucked off through the pipe g. The rest of this mixturez'. e. when the germination is completely finishedis preferably sucked off in a downward direction through the pipe 9.

g isa pipe for introducing compressed air or oxygen into the vessel ifor the purpose of facilitating the escape of the germinated grain through the openings 2 and the casing w.

Liquid air is far moresuited than ordinary air for the process of germination, because it reduces temperature and exerts a particularly quick and strong action upon the steeped grain. All the chemical reactions connected with the oxidation of the steeped grain proceed very energetically; but at the same time the heat generated by that chemical action is absorbed by the expanding liquid air. The expansion of the liquid air isnot, however, allowed to proceed as far as to atmospheric pressure; but a pressure of from one to three atmospheres beyond atmospheric pressure is maintained, the intensity depending on the kind or quality of the grain treated. The liquid air is introduced into the pipe g or g in its liquid state, about one liter of the same being employed for about five thousand kilograms of grain, the apparatusz'. 0., the space in the vessel 2' between the sieve-bot-I tom 6 and the cog-wheels t being so large that that quantity of grain may be therein received. That quantity of liquid air is not, however, introduced at a time, but preferably from six to six hours. This proportion of liquid air with regard to the grain is generally the same; but the amountof moisture with which the expanding air is loaded varies according to the kind or quality of the grain.

Therefore a part of the liquid air may be in- 1 scribed.

2. The method of causing the germination of steeped grain, consisting in freeing liquid air of part of its nitrogen, introducing it in a bulk of water located below the grain and letting it therein expand, and making the rising moist air pass through the same, substantially 'as described.

3. The method of causing the germination of steeped grain, consisting in letting so much liquid air expand in a bulk of water located below the grain, that the pressure remains beyond atmospheric pressure, and making the rising moist air pass through the same, substantially as described.

' In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

VALENTIN LAPP. Witnesses:

RUDOLPH FRICKER, CHAS. J. BURT. 

